Making A Runner

What started as a weight loss journey led to a relentless passion for health and fitness.

Lauren went from running Park Run’s to running the Comrades Marathon within a year and became an Iron Man World Champion contender.

In this episode the 28 year ASICS Front Runner and school teacher talks about overcoming societal pressures, limiting self beliefs and how she’s used her story to guide and inspire not only her students but anyone who is too afraid to start.

Lauren’s journey was almost brought to an abrupt halt when she suffered near kidney failure after her 2022 Comrades Marathon.

This is how every day runners become the champions of their own story.

Zak is a 24 year old South African rising star who made his Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

In this episode we gain insight into the lives of professional athletes and an understanding of the different mental and physical demands of sprinting vs long distance running.

As a young talent, Zak has faced his fair share of challenges including the covid 19 pandemic and making a name for himself in a country where the road to success for our athletes is a rocky one, to say the least.

Since the running boom of the 70’s, there have been major scientific advancements that have helped forge some of the worlds greatest athletes.

The same advancements have made running more accessible to the average person and injected a level of competition that is enjoyed by front runners and sweepers alike.

In this episode we explore the latest science in running; from fuelling strategies to the best coaching philosophies used by the pro’s.

We debunk myths and unpack a toolkit of advice to help you become a better runner, no matter which batch you’re lining up with at the start.

Jenna Challenor stole the hearts of 1000’s when she crawled her way to a Comrades 4th place victory, yes 4th - why is this such a remarkable feat you may ask? Because of the broad smile that she wore across her face from start to finish.

A year prior to lining up at the start of the 2022 Comrades Marathon, Jenna was clawing her way back from long-COVID. An experience that she feared may have brought a premature end to her professional athletic career.

Beneath the iron-clad determination and perfectly poised exterior is a marvellous woman who runs to honour the little girl in her who started running for the love of it.

And through it all she remains an authentic, true-to-herself, quick witted, Wonder Woman, a mother to 3 daughters, wife and inspiration to anyone who dares to dream…

Listen and be inspired by ultra-marathon running’s darling, Jenna Challenor.

Your go-to source to get pumped up for the Comrades Marathon (whether you’re running this year or plan on tackling the beast in the future).

Jam packed with inspiration, advice and special guest speakers with words of wisdom and encouragement including: Barry Holland (47 x Comrades Veteran) from episode 8; Prodigal Khumalo (2 x Comrades Gold Medalist) from episode 6 and our MVP novice, Sean Clarke aka. Gammie On The Go from episode 3.

Laced with the Nic and Davey banter that you’ve come to know and love.

Travis Warwick-Olivier is a self-described madman, an all-or-nothing character who had his leg amputated below the knee after a motocross accident (he competed semi-professionally).

True to form, 6 months post-amputation he traded his riding boots for trail shoes and a blade where he lined up at the start of the Karkloof 50 miler. A year post-amputation he stood at the start-line of one of South Africa's most gruelling Ultra Distance events, the UTD 100 miler.

This is a tale of one man's mission to defy all odds.

Through his success Travis has been able to assist other's with disabilities by establishing Rejuvenate SA, an NPO that exists to help secure mobility aids for those in needs.

Listen and be inspired by the story of Turbo Trav.

Lindi (founder of LIV2RUN), Coach Beckham & Coach Sinovuyo aka. “The Bullet” are paving the road to a better future for 100’s of children by using running as a vehicle for change and “common unity”.

All 3 of them are passionate & talented runners who have decided their life’s work to passing on their gifts. They live & work at the LIV Village & surrounds. LIV village is a dedicated place of safety that cares for orphaned, abused & vulnerable children. They provide home in the form of cluster foster care, education with a school established on site & access to extra mural activities & skills development to enrich their lives - there are currently 180 children who call LIV Village home.

Sinovuyo, is a rising trail running star & one of the athletes who has successfully come through the LIV2RUN program. His story is beautifully told in the short film “Gijima”. Listen & be inspired.

If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to give us a rating and follow our journey on Instagram @makingarunner or visit www.makingarunner.com and hit subscribe.

This episode is brought to you Cool Ideas ISP. Make sure to visit www.coolideas.co.za to find out more information around their fibre solutions.

Some intro’s are better left to the pro’s - so we’ll hand over to 9 x Comrades Marathon Winner, Bruce Fordyce, to tell you more about what you can expect to learn from Barry Holland.

“Barry’s greatest achievements have not been his own. Literally dozens of runners have achieved their own goals and dreams in running because of the firm and guiding hand of Barry Holland. It is as a coach, mentor and amateur running psychologist that Barry has made his greatest contribution; it is for his caring attitude that he is best known in the South African world of running.”

Through Barry's running story you can expect to receive nuggets of wisdom about the Ultimate Human Race, pro tips and insight into the mindset required to conquer the worlds oldest Ultra Marathon.

If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to give us a rating and follow our journey on Instagram @makingarunner or visit www.makingarunner.com and hit subscribe.

This episode was brought to you by On The Move by Four Bro's. Make sure to visit their site www.onthemovestore.com.

Nelfrie is a podiatrist, not a foot doctor but a health professional that specialises in the form & function of the feet. Her passion lies in biomechanics, ie. how you move.

We typically pay very little attention to our feet when it comes to training & conditioning, but it is our feet that make contact with the ground and determine what happens next as we move up the kinetic chain.

You can imagine that the shoes we choose to run in have a massive impact on our success and injury incidence. But what about our everyday shoe wear? And then there’s the controversial subject of barefoot running.

Listen and gain insight on these topic & more.

If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to give us a rating and follow our journey on Instagram @makingarunner or visit www.makingarunner.com and hit subscribe.

This episode was brought to you by On The Move by Four Bro's. Make sure to visit their site www.onthemovestore.com.

Prodigal Khumalo is a 2 x Comrades Marathon Gold Medalist, turned competitive trail runner, who won the UTCT 100km on his first attempt at trail racing. But Prodigal is so much more than the sum of his accomplishments - he is a humble athlete, dedicated mentor & founder of the Orcas Academy.

This episode is jam-packed with wisdom & insights into his life’s work. Listen & be inspired, this is an episode with HEART.

If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to give us a rating and follow our journey on Instagram @makingarunner or visit www.makingarunner.com and hit subscribe.

This episode was brought to you by On The Move by Four Bro's. Make sure to visit their site www.onthemovestore.com.